20 Best Side Hustle Ideas To Make Extra Money

The best way to achieve financial freedom is to make more money. You can only save so much on a capped income. And one of the best ways to make more money is to side hustle! No longer should we just rely on a day job to thrive.

I've put together a list of the 20 best side hustle ideas below to help you fill up your money coffer. They're organized by virtual gigs followed by in-person ones. There's something for everyone.

I'm a big believer in side hustles. They got me through my quarter-life crisis, boosted my savings, and eventually helped me break free from a stressful job working 50-60 hours/week.

There's nothing special about me either. I started out with a minimum wage part-time job when I graduated college. Then, thanks to networking, I landed a meager $30,000 full-time job shortly thereafter. Overtime, I worked my way up to a sustainable six-figure income.

How did I do that? Mostly by working long hours. I utilized my free time in my 20s and 30s to do a lot of side hustles. Even today, after everyone in the house is fast asleep, I often work into the wee hours of the morning on Financial Samurai and other household work.

If you want to achieve financial freedom sooner rather than later, I encourage you to take on a side hustle or two to boost your income. There are an endless number of things we can now do to make extra money.

20 Ideas For Side Hustles To Earn Extra Cash

Here are 20 of the best side hustle ideas that you can start doing today to earn more money. Some are easier than others depending on your existing talents and expertise. However, you can accomplish anything with enough dedication and practice.

Best Virtual Side Hustles

Let's take a look at some of the best virtual side gigs you can do to make some extra cash. Especially if you are living paycheck-to-paycheck, leverage the internet to try and make some extra money on the side.

1. Start A Profitable Blog

As a blogger, this is my favorite side hustle on the list. I didn't know anything about it when I first started, but I didn't let that stop me. There's a wealth of free information on the web to help you start. For example, check out How To Start Your A Profitable Blog.

Blogging is a great side hustle if you have something you are passionate about and want to share with others. You won’t get an influx of cash immediately. But, if you stick with it and build up enough of a following, the money will eventually come.

What's also great about blogging is that you can do so from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Between 2015-2017, when Sam and I were traveling around the world during our FIRE panacea, Sam didn't miss a posting schedule once.

Starting a blog requires almost no money. And you can set your own hours. Of course, you have to be willing to publish quality content regularly. If you don’t, your readers may not take you seriously. And without a consistent output of new content, it's unlikely your blog will generate enough traffic to make any money.

Blogging as a side hustle is a long game. So be prepared to stick with it for years if you want a steady, reliable extra income stream. But if you love to write like we do, it won't feel too much like work. It will be something you look forward to every day.

Being able to click the “publish” button is an incredibly satisfying feeling. Who knows, you might just get addicted!

Related: How To Make Lots Of Money Blogging

2. Become A Tutor, Coach, Or Teach Private Lessons

Another side job that you can do virtually or in-person is tutoring. There are plenty of companies that hire people to be online tutors. You don't even need to have a degree, although you may need to pass a proficiency test.

But you don't need to go the corporate route. You can operate independently and set your own prices, services, and hours. There are thousands of sole proprietors out there making extra money as tutors and coaches. Having a blog is one way to attract clients.

Chances are you already have a skillset that someone needs help with. For example, teaching English, soccer, knitting, playing piano, using spreadsheets, creating Powerpoint presentations, you name it. And apps like Zoom and Google Meet make it so easy to do virtually.

I made good money teaching violin and piano lessons to adults in my 20s and 30s. Sam side hustled as a high school tennis coach for three years. There's this one guy who is teaching pickleball for $140 an hour here in San Francisco. Not bad!

One of our friends makes great extra money teaching dance classes online. She hosts live classes through Zoom, records them, and then sells the recorded sessions to students all over the world.

3. Sell Things On Craigslist, eBay, Or Other Online Platforms

Do you have extra stuff lying around that you just haven’t figured out what to do with? Chances are someone out there will pay money for it. Do a quick search on Ebay or Craigslist and you'll be surprised what people are selling. One person's trash is truly another person's treasure.

If you have clothes that you outgrew years ago, try selling them on Poshmark or Depop. This is a great way to earn money almost instantly while clearing up space in your house and closet. All you need is a camera and a pile of clothes or unwanted goods in your home and you’re all set.

If you need some motivation to declutter, ask yourself which items in your house don't spark joy like Marie Kondo recommends. It's a great way to sort through big piles of stuff.

Some folks have even turned selling into a regular gig. They frequent garage sales and thrift stores to find discounted goods that they then resell for a premium on eBay.

And if selling things online isn't your style, you can always declutter the old fashioned way and host a garage sale to make some extra money.

4. Create Your Own YouTube Videos/Tutorials

These days, there are a lot of kids building up a following on YouTube and other platforms. One kid actually makes over $20 million a year reviewing toys!

People will watch anything as long as it’s engaging and about something they are interested in. But, this isn't a surefire way to make money. Aim to be unique and provide a new perspective on something.

Like a blog though, you need patience, credibility, and consistency. If you don't go viral or can't keep up with your content, it's going to be tough to get enough traffic to earn money this way.

Leverage the internet. You can achieve financial freedom on a modest income. You just need to expand your income while keeping your spending the same.

5. Side Hustle As An Editor Or Proofreader

This is a fairly straightforward side hustle if you love to read and have strong grammar skills. Even if you aren't an expert on grammar, there are great free online tools you can utilize like Grammarly to help catch typos and errors.

On the higher end of this type side gig, you could proofread transcriptions for transcription companies. But, unless you're already an editorial professional, plan to start out on a casual basis.

Try finding international college students learning English as a second language who need help with writing. Or see if anyone in your network has a teen who needs help with college admissions essays.

You can also look online to see if there are any local businesses who have newsletters, fliers, or other publications that need proofreading. Microsoft Word and Google Docs both have great mark-up features and tools to track changes and insert comments.

Editors usually get paid by the word. However, an editor can also get paid by the article or document. My father and wife edit all of my posts on Financial Samurai.

6. Make And Sell Your Own Products

This is a fun and rewarding side hustle if you love to create your own things. It can also be a good way to test the waters if you ever want to start your own business. As a creator, you also have the flexibility to set your own hours and pricing. But, don't overlook the fact that marketing will be key to gain traction.

On the plus side, there's an endless amount of things you can make and sell. Just take a browse through Etsy for inspiration. And, if you like to design things but don't want to manage inventory, you can use sites like Spreadshirt to create and sell all kinds of things.

For example, check out our Financial Samurai store. All profits get donated to the Pomeroy Center to help those with various disabilities and the American Nystagmus Network.

7. Be A Influencer Social Media Marketer For Small Businesses

If you love to post pictures and videos of yourself online, you might enjoy picking up a side hustle as an influencer. If you're entertaining and build a large enough following, companies may pay you to promote their products.

Having good looks, a unique talent, or connections isn't required. But they can certainly give you a leg up on the competition. Ultimately, it'll take patience and persistence. Don't expect to become an influencer overnight unless magically go viral.

In addition, you may be able to pick up a side hustle doing social media marketing. Social media is ever-expanding these days. And companies are always looking for ways to get seen and navigate their business.

8. Side Hustle As A Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are in growing demand, especially since the pandemic started. You still do all of the things a regular administrative assistant would do, just virtually.

For example, organizing and managing your boss’s social or business schedule, or helping with company marketing. If you have a lot of free time, enjoy organizing, and are great with devices, you could be a great virtual assistant.

From our perspective, we may hire a virtual assistant to handle all inbound requests. Further, a virtual assistant could help us with PR outreach if we wanted to be proactive in growing this site.

9. Take On A Website Design Or Backend Assistant Side Gig

This is a good side hustle if you are tech savvy and have an eye for design. Every business should have their own website. But, a lot of small business owners don't know where to start. So if you have the skillset for website design, there are businesses out there who could use your help.

But I must state the obvious – make sure you have your own website first before trying to get someone to pay you to build theirs. I had someone ask me to hire him to redesign my site once, yet he didn't have a website of his own to showcase. Shocking.

If you're skilled with backend maintenance you can also utilize those skills to side hustle for extra cash. There are plenty of bloggers out there who are great at creating content, but aren't the best at maintenance. If you can demonstrate your abilities, you may just be able to find someone who will hire you.

10. Write An eBook Or Traditional Book

This side hustle only makes sense if you enjoy writing and have a unique skillset or experience to share. You don't need to have your own blog to write an ebook. But, it's beneficial if you do.

Writing an eBook is a great way to build your brand and use your own site to promote and sell it. Just realize there's no guarantee you'll sell a lot of copies, so use your time wisely.

Sam wrote a niche eBook back in 2012, How To Engineer Your Layoff, which has been a great extra source of income. The initial writing took about a year to complete, and subsequent new editions took several months. But now it's a great passive income stream of roughly $50,000 a year. Use the code “saveten” to save $10 at checkout.

Get The eBook Now button

The book not only earns extra money, but also helps readers get more money through severance negotiation. Here are some thoughts on self-publishing a book. HTEYL is a bestseller and the only book of its kind.

Writing a traditionally published book is another side hustle that could earn you royalties for years. However, signing with a publisher can be very difficult. Therefore, I suggest you build your platform first or write an eBook.

Here's more information making money with traditional publishing and whether you should write a book or not. Sam signed a book deal with Portfolio, a Penguin Random House imprint at the end of 2019.

Sam's Wall Street Journal bestseller, Buy This, Not That: How To Spend Your Way To Wealth And Freedom came out in late 2022 and became an instant hit.

Traditionally published books can generate royalties anywhere between 10% – 20% of the retail price of a book once the cash advance is covered. Royalties are usually paid out every six months. You can pick up a hard copy on Amazon today!

Buy This Not That Book Reviews

In-Person Side Hustle Ideas For Extra Cash

If you don't have any skills you can do online, then there are plenty of in-person side hustles you can do too. Here are some of the post common.

11. Babysit, Petsit, And Housesit

If you like kids, babysitting can be a rewarding side hustle to make more money. The pay can add up quite nicely too as you gain experience. For example, experienced babysitters in San Francisco typically earn $20-25/hour.

It is an especially easy side gig to start with if your family or friends have a lot of children. This allows you to babysit kids you're already comfortable with and whose parents trust you. Alternatively, you can post your profile on sites like UrbanSitter and Care.com to find babysitting gigs.

Same goes for petsitting. You can start off taking care of pets for your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. And use sites like Rover to expand your clientele.

My former colleague started making $1,000 a month in extra income just by pet sitting. She made her best money doing overnight petsitting for high-needs dogs.

Housesitting side gigs are a bit harder to come by. But, it all depends on where you live and how you network.

I know a woman who always hires a house-sitter when she travels because she has 52 plants in her home. Having a green thumb, a knack for tidying up, and a resourceful mindset come in handy if you want to housesit.

12. Take On A Rideshare Side Hustle

If you have a car, being an Uber or Lyft driver is an easy way to make extra money. However, the pay has really come down over the years.

Before we had kids, Sam did a lot of driving for Uber. It was a great way to get super familiar with the city, hear people's stories, and earn bonuses. When Uber added a feature to pick up rides en route to a certain destination, Sam drove even more. He figured, if he had to go somewhere, he might as well earn some extra money on the way there.

In addition, like many other side hustles on this list, you aren’t tied down to a specific work schedule either. The problem with being a rideshare driver is the cost of operation. If you get a ticket, a ding, or a blown tire, your side hustle money can quickly get eaten up.

13. Pick Up A Side Gig Delivering Food And Groceries

The pandemic increased the popularity of food and grocery delivery services. I certainly relied on deliveries throughout the pandemic and still do. If you like driving but don't want to deal with passengers, delivering food and groceries can be an easy side hustle for extra money.

Amazon and Instacart are two of the biggest companies hiring independent contractors to make deliveries. Qualifying is simple and straight forward too. And although the hourly wage is on the lower side, you can earn tips for good service, and often get driver benefits.

14. Clean Houses For Extra Cash

This is another fairly easy side hustle if you're not opposed to getting your hands dirty. All you really need to know are which cleaning supplies to use. You'll also need a strong back and a good work ethic to clean all the nooks and crannies in a house.

Housekeeping doesn't require much knowledge. But, it can require a large time commitment and flexibility to accommodate your client's schedule.

Cleaning can be tiring after several hours. The fumes may get to you. But it's satisfying to see the immediate results of your hard work. Plus, it feels good to help other people and earn some extra money at the same time.

Please don't let pride prevent you from taking care of your family. Do whatever it takes to earn.

15. Side Hustle As A Handyman

One thing in life that's for certain is that nothing lasts forever. Live anywhere long enough and stuff starts to break or need replacing. Towel rods weaken and fall off the wall, toilets start to run, lightbulbs go out in hard to reach places, bathroom caulk turns moldy and cracks, etc.

If you're a DIY at heart, these are all things you can learn how to fix yourself. And with practice, you can get paid to help fix them in other people's homes too.

I learned how to fix toilets, caulk sinks and bathtubs, repair refrigerator water lines, patch and paint walls, install anti-tip guards, etc. thanks to YouTube and some elbow grease. As rental property owners, we naturally pick up home maintenance skills.

Perhaps you're good at putting together furniture, playhouses, and setting up electronics. These are all great skills to have for yourself and for side hustling. There are a lot of people that hate doing this type of stuff who will happily pay for good service.

16. Install Smart Thermostats, Doorbell Cameras, or Washlets

Similar to the above, you can make great extra income side hustling as an installer if you're good at it. There are many companies who hire independent contractors to install smart thermostats like Google Nest in people's homes.

Or you can side hustle on your own and keep all the profits for yourself. Picking up a side gig installing doorbell cameras like Ring is another option to make extra cash.

You can even install washlets for a profit if you know some plumbing basics. They certainly gained more popularity in the US after the toilet paper shortage during the pandemic.

I installed three Toto Washlets on my own when I moved houses without any prior training. It's not a glamorous way to earn extra money, but it's rewarding and doesn't take that long.

Related: Best Revenge Spending Ideas

17. Side Hustle As A Packer And/Or Mover

Before we had kids, I couldn't understand why anyone would hire someone to help them pack. But after moving houses with two kids, I completely get it. Packing is a pita!

There are lots of opportunities to get paid to help people pack whether it's for large families, elderly folks, busy people working 60+ hours a week, or even businesses.

Side hustling as a mover is another easy job to pick up when you're free. And you don't even have to move entire houses. You can get hired to pick up and deliver furniture or other bulky items for people who don't have a car or who need extra hands.

TaskRabbit is a great place to post your profile for these types of side gigs and provides insurance protection.

However you get hired, make sure you know how to properly wrap, pack, load, and unload items to avoid damage. And clearly label items and track inventory.

18. List Your Home As A Vacation Rental

Depending on the local laws in your area, you may be able to rent out your home or a portion of your home as a vacation rental. Some people even rent their backyards as camp grounds. Just watch a few episodes of Instant Hotel on Netflix for some inspiration.

If you're a social person, this is also a fun way to meet new people and share your knowledge of local attractions.

With the worst of the pandemic behind us, people are traveling like crazy everywhere. And more and more people are opting to stay at vacation rentals over hotels for a more personalized experience.

Our vacation rental in Lake Tahoe is finally booming again.

19. Pick Up Odd Jobs

What's great about odd jobs is that the commitment is low. Thus, you can try out a bunch of different things if you're not sure what you want to focus on.

Craigslist is a great place to get ideas and find listings for odd jobs. There's a specific section just for Gigs.

For example, you can sell tickets at a local fair, wash cars, work security at an event, scan receipts, deweed someone's garden, get hired as a makeup artist for a photoshoot, be an ump for a meetup softball game, maintain hot tubs, detail cars, etc. There are always odd jobs being posted.

Just watch out for scams when using sites like Craigslist. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

20. Participate In Research Studies And Surveys

Another option to side hustle is to participate in research studies. I did this in my 20s and earned $100-200 on average over 2-3 hour sessions just for answering questions.

The catch is you have to meet certain criteria to qualify for specific studies. For example, you may need to be in a certain age group, income bracket, or industry.

But, they're typically easy to do when you're eligible. And can also be fun experiences especially if you get to test products.

You can also side hustle taking online surveys and get paid to watch advertisements. I tried this in my mid-20s through Swagbucks for a few months. But, it barely paid anything. Plus, it was too mind numbing for me, so I stopped doing it.

Instead, I found I could make a lot more money teaching music lessons in less time.

21. Invest Your Money

Finally, my favorite way to earn side hustle money is to make your money work for you so you don't have to. This means saving and investing aggressively to generate passive investment income. The more passive income you can generate, the closer you get to financial freedom.

Below are my favorite passive income investments ranked from worst to best. Dividend stock investing is #1 followed by investing in private real estate through platforms like Fundrise and CrowdStreet, both of which are long-time sponsors of Financial Samurai,. Financial Samurai has a six-figure investment in the Fundrise Flagship fund.

Best Passive Income Investments Ranked

Start Earning More Money Today

I hope you enjoyed going through our best side hustle ideas. If you have more side hustle ideas that are making you money, I'd love to hear them. Use your creativity to earn more money. You have that creativity in you from when you were a child.

Analyze your skillsets and find ways to harness your talents profitably. Ultimately, the power to earn extra cash through a side hustle is up to you. If you're motivated enough to earn extra money, you'll find a way to make it happen.

Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty! Chances are you'll like the results.

And while you're motivated to earn extra cash, set aside some time to start building passive income streams. Active income is certainly rewarding and often a necessity. But, working your way towards earning reliable, increasing passive income streams can't be beat.

Happy side hustling!

Recommendations

The best way to have more side hustle opportunities is to start your own website. Once you build your brand online, more side hustle opportunities will come. You can also use your website platform to build an audience to sell your own things online.

For more nuanced personal finance content, join 65,000+ others and sign up for the free Financial Samurai newsletter. Financial Samurai is one of the largest independently-owned personal finance sites that started in 2009. 

If we are ever in desperate need of cash, I will become a private tennis instructor or personal finance consultant again. Having the ability to side hustle is one of the best financial buffers to have.

20 thoughts on “20 Best Side Hustle Ideas To Make Extra Money”

  1. “With the worst of the pandemic behind us”
    I am very concerned that the worst is yet to come. I live in Mexico and case numbers are now nearly as bad as in January and hospitals are filling up fast, especially in the tourist centers like Cancun, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.
    The latest data from Israel is showing the vaccines are not very effective and the claims that the vaccine prevents hospitalization and death are not true. (links can be provided upon request)
    What are your thoughts? Might the government start mandating lockdowns again which would have a horrible affect on the tourism sector (airbnb, vrno, lyft, uber, etc)?

      1. The vaccination rates are less than 30 percent throughout Mexico. There are not widespread disparities from one region to another as seen in the USA.
        I have read the same information about the US with respect to the Delta mostly attacking the unvaccinated in the US but the recent report out of Massachusetts seems to contradict that claim and is very much in line with the data out of Israel. https://goldtadise.com/?p=502747
        I suspect that if it were really true that the Delta variant were only affecting the unvaccinated, the CDC would not have reinstated the mask mandate in indoor spaces.

  2. Really enjoyed the article. Thanks to you and Sam, I have taken the leap and started #1 & #2. Glad to Hoping to partake in #10 in the future by writing a children’s book about how the Gospel impacts the food, fitness, & finances of our lives. I enjoy my career in accounting, but also enjoy teaching accounting, reading, & writing.

  3. Add Gaming to your list. New games using “Play to Earn” approach are super popular with young adults/teens and is an incredible side income in poor countries. Check Axie Infinity.

  4. Great list! Over the past 1.5 years I have been helping a friend of mine who is a carpenter on some reno projects. Yes it requires me to work more hours but the payoff is very nice and the extra money certainly helps. Anyone can pick up extra work, you just gotta want to do it.

    David mentioned the best are those that you do once and they payoff forever, I agree. I don’t have any of those but I will sometime

  5. I really appreciate this post. It really feels great that there is so much opportunity out there that anybody with the right initiative and work ethic can do to better themselves. I really like too how you listed the virtual side hustles first and have emphasized in your posts the value of having something you can earn income with even during a pandemic.

    I think the biggest thing is if you can make your side hustle something you enjoy and “would do for free.” I think that would be the only way to really stick with it, even if things were not going well initially.

    Thank you as always for the amazing advice!

  6. Thanks for mentioning about the American Nystagmus Network, didn’t know about them. I have always had, but it is not as bad as some. We adopted a cat several years ago with eye issues and she has Nystagmus also. I have been fortunate to always have good eye care from infancy and was able to get a drivers license in my early 30s for daylight only. Very grateful.

    1. You bet! I’m glad nystagmus hasn’t gotten in the way of living your best life.

      Roughly 15% of the world’s population has some type of disability. We need to do our best to understand and accommodate this population.

  7. Great list of side hustles Sam! I appreciate how you are willing to cover any topic that is useful to your readers. You go from deep stock market analysis to helping make a few extra bucks. :)

  8. Very good list, thanks for sharing. Every additional income streams not only gives a boost to the amount that can be kept as saving each month, but reduces the risk position of a household. Relying on a job is so risky and today, with internet and all applications, there are many possibilities to earn additional income.
    Cheers

  9. I am a substitute teacher. I retired as a high school science teacher at 75 and even though I have decent retirement, I decided to substitute in my local elementary school district. This was easy as I have a clear CA credential and lots of references.
    I am able to substitute when I want to, the district has a computerized website where I can see what is available to choose from. I don’t mind what grade levels are available and I have taught everything from accelerated to special education. I did preTK Special Ed one day and loved it. My day runs from 7.30 am to 3 pm at the latest.
    I prefer single days and will not do long term. I will go to any of the district’s 10 schools. I like 2 or 3 assignments a week and normally in precovid days, I can clear $1000 a month. The district takes care of pay, taxation etc and is excellent. It does help that we live in an excellent Orange County area. In 3 years, I have only had 2 problem students and that was at the beginning.
    I am 80 next month and have signed on for next year. Everyone I know thinks I am crazy. But I have certain rules. I keep rigidly to the lesson plan, I don’t pick on students and I try and help them all. I leave my IPad at home and devote all my attention to them.
    It gives me great satisfaction to be useful and get good vibes from the district.

  10. David @ Filled With Money

    Side hustles are so important to build wealth and make more money. I love the blogging as a side hustle, but maybe I’m too biased right now so it’s not the best advice but I believe in the long term staying power of blogs.

    The best side hustles are work that you do once that pays you dividends forever until you die.

  11. Great list! I am going with #1, starting a blog which hopefully can one day be profitable. I started back in 2017 being motivated by Sam’s story and having read much of his writing, but unfortunately I quit after several months. Just think if I would have stuck with it after all of these years. Luckily I have not given up and am giving it a shot again, after paying for the domain for several years :]. Cheers to Financial Samurai!

  12. For those trying to cutback on their consumption, purging your house of unused belongings and selling them on craigslist/eBay as you mentioned above can be a fun endeavor. Realizing people will pay for things you no longer enjoy is a liberating feeling and makes your journey to saving more money possible.

  13. MARY EASTHAM

    I pet sit, have helped hundreds of kids write fab college essays & worked with a high end single parent to give her son creative outlets during the pandemic. I love your site. I always find great take-always. Gonna check out the Gigs section at Craigslist…

  14. If you really want an idea. Become a realtor. ANYONE can do it, and then just work for your friends. One transaction will easily make you $2,000+ Quite worth it.

  15. Great list! I’ve side hustled as a dog walker, picked up some odd jobs, and doing yard work. I tried being a movie extra a couple times for fun too but that was more for the experience. I don’t think I got paid much. It was so long ago I can’t remember.

    But it’s so true that every bit of earnings adds up!

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